Atmospheric car-starter



(N0 Model.)

. 2Sheets-8heet 1. I. P. WENDELL. Atmospheric Oar Starter.

Patented Febi 15.1881.

INVENTOR /%wda WITNESSES:

N. PEIERS, FHOTD-LITHOGRAPN 2 Sheath-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I. P. WENDBLL. Atmospheric Oar Starter.

Pat eh-ge qfeb. 15, I881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT much.

ISAAC P.'WENDEl lL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ATMOSPHERIC CAR-STARTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 237,935, dated February 15, 1881. Application fil "F June 21, 1880. (No model.)

Figure l is a sectional plan of the runninggear of a street-car embodying my'invention. Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a modification of pump or condenser operating devices. Fig. 4. is a vertical longitudinal section on line 1 1, Fig. l and Fig. 5 is a like view of a modified construction of the starting devicesand air-operating cylinder.

My invention has for its object to operate carstarters for street-railway cars by atmospheric pressure; and it consists in the provision of 1 an air-condensin g apparatus and operatingcylinder, with connecting mechanism between the piston of said cylinder and the starting devices, whereby the latter are impelled by airpressu're to give the initial impulse to the car.

My invention further consists in the general combination, construction, and arrangement of the parts of the air-condensing apparatus, operating-cylinder, and starting devices, hereinafter more fully set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents a car-body,mounted upon axles B B, furnished with suitable axle-boxes b 11, upon which rest the usual springs G O, and O O are the pedestals, of any suitable construction.

D D" represent the starting devices, consisting of the V or other appropriate shaped grooved. wheels d d, firmly fixed upon the axles B B, respectively. On either side of said wheels, and loosely secured to said axles, so as not to revolve therewith, are arms d d d 'd are friction dogs or levers, pivoted. at d d to said arms d 01 as shown, their lower ends being shaped corresponding to the form of the grooves in the wheels 01 d. The upper ends of said dogs or levers are secured by the means of pitmen d d to the ends of the piston-rods 66', respectively, of the cylinders E E. Said cylinders are formed by making the partition or division 6 in a long cylinder, E as shown; but, if desired, they may be made separately and have independent connections to the frame F. The latter is formed by the four sides or barsf,f,f and f The sidesff are bolted or otherwise firmly secured to the axle-boxes, as shown, so that said frame remains stationary in position, and is not subject to the vibrating action of the car-body.

G G are the air compressing or condensing cylinders, the former being firmly bolted to the frame F on the sidef, as shown at g, and the latter to the cross-rodf of said frame, as shown at g. Said cylinders are provided with suitable induction and eduction valves, g 9 and are operated by the vertical vibratory movement of the car-body by means of interposed mechanism, which is constructed and arranged to suit the length of the stroke desired for said cylinders. If, for instance, a long stroke is wanted, as shown, for cylinder G, the lever H is employed, pivoted at h to a bracket projecting from the cross-piecef of the frame F, and is provided with slotted ends, as shown, to which are loosely secured the end of the piston-rod g and the jointed pitman I, whose opposite end is eccentrically attached to the gear-wheel t, journaled in the cross-pieces f f of frame F.

K is a rack bolted to the door a of the carbody, as shown at a, and meshes with the gear-wheel i, as more plainly seen in Fig. 2 of drawings.

Where a short stroke is desired, as shown,

for cylinder G, the pitman I is secured directly to the piston-rod, so that as the carbody vertically vibrates the depending racks K K are reciprocated and communicate a rotary movement to the gear-wheels M, to reciprocate the pitmen I I to operate the pistonrods and their attached pistons to compress air in the cylinders G G. As the air is compressed therein it is forced through the pipes L L to the reservoir M. The latter is provided with a safety-valve, m, of any suitable construction, to regulate the limit of the compression of the air therein.

L is the air-supply pipe for the operatingcylinders E E, having branches Z l, which proceed to the cylinders E E, respectively, and are each provided with a three-way valve, 1 l connected by the cranks Z Z to the operating-rods N N, which proceed to opposite ends of the car, as shown, and are secured to treadle or other operating devices, 0 0, respectively. If the car runs over a route that at the half-way end thereof it becomes necessary to change the horses from one end of the car to the other end in order to make the return trip,the two cylinders E E and starting devices D D are employed; hence the necessity for the two treadle mechanisms at opposite ends of the car, so that as the said change is made the car-starting devices will still remain under the control of the driver of the car.

Assuming such a condition of route as above described, and the car, as represented in Figs. 1 and 4, going in the direction of arrow or, its vertical vibrations operate the air-pumps G G to fill the reservoir M with compressed air, the startingmechanism D and piston of cylinder E being in the position shown by full lines in Fig. 4. \Vhen the car stops, and it is desired to start the same, the driver-thereof applies pressure to the treadle 0, moving the rod N and crank l to turn valve 1 to open communication between the reservoir M and cylinder E. The air from the former passing into the latter moves its piston in the direction of arrow 00, drawing with it its rod 0 and pitman (1 thereby oscillating the lever d in the direction of arrow 1 to cause said lever to come into contact with the grooved wheel cl upon axle B, and by frictional impingement thereupon rotates said wheel (I, axle B, and car-wheels to start or move the car forward in the direction indicated by arrow .70. Vhen the said piston has reached the limit of its stroke the lever d has assumed the position shown by dotted lines 2 2 in Fig. 4, and the car is fully started, whereupon the pressure is removed from treadle O, a reacting-spring (not shown) moving the rod N and crank 1* to turn valve Z to open a passage from cylinder E to exhaust-port Z and close communication with reservoir M, when the spring E in cylinder E reacts to reversely move the piston-rod 0, thereby instantly releasing the dog orlever d from wheel (I, and return the same to its normal position. These changes in practice are all nearly simultaneously efi'eeted, or with but little interval between each operation, so that when the car receives its initial impulse it will not be retarded by the lever (1 remaining in contact with wheel (I. When the car has reached the half-way end of the route and the horses are changed to the opposite end of the car, the cylinder E will then be used to operate the starting devices D to move the car, the treadle 0 being employed to turn valve Z to admit and exhaust air to and from said cylinder E, as al ready described for cylinder E, the result in both cases being the same, except that the ear is moved in opposite directions.

When a car travels from and back to the depot without making the above-described change the modification shown in Fig. 5 is used, wherein only one cylinder, 1?, and only one treadle mechanism are employed. The piston-rod 1) passes through both ends of said cylinder, its extremities being connected by the pitmen Q Q, to the starting devices R R, which consist of the ratchet-wheels 0'1" and spring dogs or pawls r 1", pivoted at r r to arms T3 a, to which the pitmen are attached, as shown. A movement of the piston in the direction of arrow 4 causes its rod 19 to move arms r r in the same direction, the pawls r r engaging with the ratchet-wheels r 1' to start the car. A reverse motion of the piston releases the pawls from engagement with said ratchet-wheels. In this modification it will be noticed that the starting of the car is effected by power applied to both axles of the car at the same time, while in the first-described case the power is applied to only one axle at a time.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modification of the devices for operating the air-pumps, wherein the latter are operated by a toggle mechanism one arm, s, of which is attached to the floor a of the car and the other arm, 8, to the frame F, the pitman a connecting the pistonrod of the pump with said toggles.

I have described the air pumps or condensers as being operated by the vertical vibratory movement of the car-bod y; but, if desired, the same may be dispensed with, and the reservoir M is filled at the depot after each trip with an amount of compressed air sufficient for operating the starting mechanisms during each trip of the car; or, if desired, any other suitable mechanism may be employed to operate said condensers. For instance,when my invention is applied to seam street-cars the pumps or condensers may be operated by gearing attached to the axles of the cars, or from direct engagement with the engine, or by employing a jet of steam to create a vacuum in front of the pistons in the cylinders G G, as is now commonly used for air-brakes.

hat I claim as my invention is- 1. A railwaycar provided with starting devices, in combination with an air-cylinder, aircondensing appliances, and interposed mechanism between said car and condensing devices, whereby the latter are operated by the vertical vibratory movement of the car, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with a railway-car, the frame F, secured to the axle-boxes of said car, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 1 have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of April, 1880.

ISAAC P. VVENDELL.

Witnesses WM. LARZELERE, HARRY SMITH. 

